LU movie series: “Inside Out 2”

“Inside Out 2” (2024)
4.5/5 ****-
Released June 14, 2024 and directed by Kelsey Mann, “Inside Out 2” is an animated coming-of- age film about a teenager entering high school and all the new, uncomfortable emotions that come with that. “Inside Out” was particularly well-received, as Riley Andersen’s — the protagonist’s — emotions are personified, with Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger being embodied in corporeal forms that operate inside Riley’s head like plane pilots. This concept is thoughtful, in my opinion, because not only are the characters fun, but thinking about emotions in this way can make children cognizant of their feelings and hypothetically set them up to have healthy emotional intelligence.

The sequel’s plot follows Riley as she goes into high school, though focusing more on a weekend ice hockey camp that she attends in hopes of qualifying for her school’s team, the Firehawks. Older now, Riley’s emotions oversee a newly formed element of her mind called her “Sense of Self.” This area houses Riley’s memories and feelings that shape her beliefs. Joy, being her positive old self, creates a mechanism that launches negative memories to the back of Riley’s mind. However, a “Puberty Alarm” goes off the night before camp and four new emotions are introduced to Riley’s crew: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui. Gotta love puberty. These emotions clash with the original emotions over their approaches — i.e. Joy wants Riley to have fun at camp while Anxiety is occupied with winning a spot on the team and making friends. Just in that example, you can see Riley is growing up.

At camp, Anxiety decides that Riley needs to change to fit in with the older players. Riley’s “Sense of Self” is launched to the back of her mind and Anxiety has the original emotions captured and thrown into a memory vault. This catapults Riley into a world of self-consciousness, panic attacks and teachable moments. Luckily, being a Pixar movie, “Inside Out 2” ends on a lighthearted note, with Riley making her new friends, keeping her old friends and developing a balanced third “Sense of Self.” While intended for children, this film addresses important topics and incites a grab for emotional intelligence, making its audience think about their emotions and reminding them that having feelings is a part of being. Overall, it was a good watch and I’m feeling inspired to watch “Inside Out” … the first one.

“Inside Out 2” was played in the campus cinema on the second floor of Warch. The LU cinema frequently plays recent and also holiday-themed films on Fridays (8 p.m.) and Saturdays (3 p.m.), so keep your eyes peeled for those.

For the fall movie series, there are four films remaining: “Twisters” on Oct. 10 and 11, “A Quiet Place: Day One” on Oct. 25 and 26, “Coco” (apparently with trivia) on Nov. 1 and 2 and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, pt. 2” on Nov. 22 and 23.